By Nkechi Eze
The Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Olakunle Nafiu, has called on corps employers across Nigeria to prioritise mentorship for corps members, stressing that proper guidance would shape them into responsible leaders and nation-builders.
Nafiu made the appeal in Abuja while hosting the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Emomotimi Agama, and his team during a visit to the NYSC Headquarters for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on financial literacy for corps members.
According to a statement by the NYSC Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the NYSC boss emphasised that the manner in which corps members are treated, guided and mentored at their places of primary assignment would have lasting impacts on their future and on national development.
“The way you relate with them, build and mentor them will greatly impact their future and the nation,” Nafiu said, adding that corps members are “ready, resilient and committed young Nigerians that require mentorship. When you take good care of them, they will reciprocate.”
He commended the SEC leadership for its reform-driven approach, noting that the agency’s initiatives have transformed the Nigerian capital market landscape and strengthened public trust. Nafiu also expressed the Scheme’s readiness to collaborate with the Commission, stating that the partnership would benefit corps members, the NYSC and the wider public.
Earlier, Agama lauded the NYSC for its critical role in promoting national unity, integration and socio-economic development, describing the Scheme’s nationwide deployment structure as unmatched by any other government agency.
He stressed the importance of equipping corps members with financial knowledge, noting that exposure to financial education and independence would prepare them for leadership roles in the future. According to him, corps members remain valuable assets who can effectively drive financial literacy campaigns at the grassroots level.
“The essence of NYSC cannot be over-emphasized in terms of culture, association, networking and future relations,” Agama said, while recalling his own youth service experience and expressing optimism about the impact of the collaboration between both agencies.
